My friend Guillermo Castro has a fledgling business called Know How Costa Rica (www.knowhowcostarica.com), and he does know how to help ex-pats circumvent tramites. He took me to a back street I could never have found on my own in a difficult neighborhood of San Jose to get a form I needed to renew my driver`s license after my cedula number had been changed. It took less than two hours. He also told me about a great place for Sunday brunch. New Day Café & Bookstore is in Ciudad Colón. I am indebted to him on both accounts. The immaculate tastefully decorated little restaurant attached to a 4000-volume mostly English language bookstore is a jewel. Monday through Thursday it stays open from 8 A.M. to 6 P.M., Fridays 8 – 2 and Sunday 10-2. We had very good eggs Benedict with crisp hash browns and fresh orange juice for only C3000 each. The rest of the menu includes omelets, waffles, gallo pinto, wraps, hamburgers, sandwiches, salad, soup, spaghetti, batidos and hot plates, all very reasonably priced. Check out the pastries at the counter. Yes the food, service, décor and bookstore are very nice, but the star attraction is Angela Haggerty, the delightful owner. She is thoughtful, knowledgeable, bright and interesting. 2249-2874. As you enter Ciudad Colon from the east, the main street becomes one way the wrong way. Go right when you are forced to do so, then take the first left, parallel to the main street, then left again on Third Street across the main street plus one more block. Turn right. The restaurant is half way up the block on the left side of the street.
Sisso, “A Taste of Jerusalem” is moving to a larger location across the way in Florencia Mall, Escazú. In the spot previously occupied by Spoon, Sisso will have more seating and a grand pizza oven to bake their own pita, flatbreads, baguettes and Middle Eastern pizzas. In addition to a new line of homemade baked goods, they are going to offer lamb kabobs and lamb chops plus a breakfast menu. They should be in the new place by early June. I am really excited about having shakshuka, a cast iron skillet on a wooden board with two fried eggs sitting in a sauce of red pepper, tomato, onion, garlic and spices. The last time I had it was in Tunis about a decade ago. It is far superior to huevos rancheros. Incidentally, their falafel and hummus are great.
Burt from Oregon is coming to Santa Ana when his young teenagers finish school in early June. He and his wife have been here before. He asked for a recommendation for a steak house close by, not as formal or pricey as Doris Metropolitan or as rustic and rowdy as bar-oriented Old West. He asks for a place with enough class for his wife to enjoy, surroundings suitable for his boys, good food and prices that won`t necessitate a second mortgage. Touting the right steak house for someone is daunting. Many people insist on corn-fed American beef because it so tender, albeit with less flavor and only twice the price. Others like good cuts of local beef aged enough to be less tough than butcher shop fresh cuts from grass-fed animals. I told Burt to try Bonanza in Mall Santa Ana directly across the new Pista Del Sol from the Forum.
It is a huge improvement over the sports bar that used to be there. The look is rustic with great attention to detail. Dark wood, somber tile, red brick, vaulted ceiling hung with huge fans, cushioned chairs with the letter “B” embossed on the backs, place mats with maps of the Ponderosa Ranch above Lake Tahoe at each place, bales of hay, straw hats, a wagon wheel, a slide show of all the Cartwrights and their horses and mood music including the theme from the Bonanza TVshow all combine to set the mood for steak. My favorite cut is local rib eye. It is well seasoned, reasonably tender for Costa Rican beef, nicely presented and properly cooked. I always suggest that gringos who want their meat medium-rare order it “medium” in Costa Rica to get it pink and juicy but not purple. My steak was large enough for a leftover sandwich portion at home. It came with real mashed potatoes with a few small welcomed lumps and a large green salad dressed in mild vinaigrette accented with a bit of Dijon. The bill came to C7700 including everything but I added an extra tip for very attentive service. 2282-5504. Open from noon to midnight every day but Monday.
My favorite vegetarian restaurant in Costa Rica was Earthly Delights in Ciudad Colon. After it closed, chef/owner Marco Gonzales continued to star as chef for special events for corporations and private parties. He designed menus and acted as a consultant for new and changing restaurants. He wrote food columns and recipes for magazines, newspapers and for his flagship Delicias Terrícolas. The most recent feather in his cap is probably a Costa Rican first. He catered a very successful vegan wedding. Good job Marco! You can see photos at facebook.com/DeliciasTerricolas or reach him via ticochef.blogspot.com.
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